AI songs instead of human artists, and at a higher price – Spotify is reportedly set to use this strategy soon to squeeze more money out of customers. With AI remixes and AI-generated cover songs, the streaming giant from Luxembourg is reportedly planning to offer an even more expensive subscription soon.

AI-generated music is appealing to streaming services, not least because it could potentially eliminate royalty payments and boost profits. While providers such as Qobuz are distancing themselves from AI-generated music, Tidal and Spotify already have very lax AI policies. According to a report by the Financial Times, Spotify is now planning a full-scale AI push, set to launch as early as the first quarter of 2027.

The streaming market leader is apparently adding an optional AI package to its Spotify Premium subscription, reportedly costing $4 to $5 per month, which could make the service’s Premium subscription up to 39 percent more expensive. Those willing to pay these additional costs are expected to receive two main new features. First, the ability to have artificial intelligence regenerate existing songs as remixes. And second, the option to generate any song as a cover version by any band, thereby changing the song’s style.

  • Unpigged@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    271·
    9 hours ago

    I didn’t get it. Imagine the sales pitch here.

    “Yeah we are going to make your subscription more expensive, but you’ll get more slop in return!”

    Why?!

    • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
      2·
      7 minutes ago

      The article lays it out pretty clearly on why if you read it.

      It is unclear how these AI-generated songs will affect the royalties Spotify pays to artists. The company is reportedly already negotiating with record labels, but how high or low the payments to artists will ultimately be is not yet known. Spotify is also reportedly struggling to persuade some artists to agree to the use of their music by AI. According to an analyst quoted by the Financial Times, around 8 percent of all Spotify subscribers could be paying this surcharge for AI-generated songs by the end of 2028.

      Money, it’s always money. That’s roughly 25 million subscribers that would be predicted to sign up for AI slop at 5 bucks a month. Combine that with what I’m sure would be looking to pay the artists a lot less and only having to pay for computing resources instead of people, that’s still a fuck ton of money for them.

    • matlag@sh.itjust.works
      91·
      3 hours ago

      Because execs have no clue what users want and live in a parallel world in which people want what execs wish people wanted.

      Then they’ll be baffled by the low take on their offer and their next step will be to force-enroll existing users on a free trial that won’t stop by itself, hoping some of them will just let it run and get milked.

    • Bakkoda@lemmy.world
      41·
      3 hours ago

      They have to. This is actually good news. It shows they are losing revenue and are desperate. If you still use Spotify that’s on you.

    • raze2012@lemmy.world
      61·
      9 hours ago

      “Ai efficiencies will be passed on to the customer!”

      Remember this next time billionaires say they’ll happily pay onto UBI or whatever.